LIVERPOOL has to have an air link with London to cope with the million plus visitors expected for the Capital of Culture celebrations in 2008.

That's the view of Sue Woodward, the Liverpool Culture Company's creative director, who today is joining the chorus of support for the Daily Post's "Fight for a Flight" campaign.

Business and political leaders from across the region are backing the campaign for a regular air service from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to the capital.

We are urging the government to ringfence slots for regional services at Heathrow Airport and exempt Merseyside from Air Passenger Duty (APD).

Ms Woodward said the growing profile of the city, as 2008 approached, would make a service to London essential.

She added: "Liverpool is forging ahead, which has been demonstrated in the awarding of European Capital of Culture 2008. An air link to London is the next logical step.

"It is hard to give exact figures but we are expecting around a million visitors to the city in 2008 and we have to make it as easy as we possibly can for those people to get here.

"These days many people want to fly to their destinations and not having a link with the capital city puts us at a definite disadvantage."

Liverpool won a fierce contest to land the Capital of Culture title competing agains t Cardiff, Newcastle-Gateshead, Birmingham and Oxford.

With the exception of Oxford, all those cities have regular flights to at least one of London's airports and yet Liverpool, the winner, has none. Ms Woodward said: "When you're in business, time means money so you want to get to your destination as quickly as possible and flying is obviously the quickest way.

"It's also important that the air link is with Heathrow because that is one of the main hubs for international travel.

"Liverpool does need this air link but it does have to be viable. This is a grown up city and we have to have a viable business plan but we are backing the Daily Post campaign 100pc."

People travelling to Liverpool from the south of England for the Mathew Street Festival and Creamfields at the weekend faced long delays because of upgrade and maintenance work being carried out on the West Coast main rail line between here and London.

Journey times, already averaging around three hours, were extended by a further 90 minutes.

The delays highlighted the need for alternative ways of travelling between Merseyside and London.